Author: Brandi Peacher

The rain did not keep us from celebrating the opening of The Music Lounge: Southland Pop-up. Come sit, relax, meet friends, bring lunch, or come and make music in this temporary structure. The pop-up will be in place May thru October in front of Geno’s Formal Affair. Learn more by reading the Retrofitting the RETRO project info.

A packed house came out to Willie’s Locally Known on Wednesday May 3rd for a Retrofitting The RETRO Lunch-N-Learn hosted by the Division of Planning. UK Landscape Architecture students presented their visionary ideas for the corridor and a sidewalks design update was made. Check back HERE later this week to find downloadable presentations for all to view.

The City’s Division of Planning, LexArts, the Southland Association, VisitLex, and Council offices teamed up to submit a project idea to the Knight Cities Challenge. Retrofitting the RETRO: Rediscover Southland project is one of 144 projects selected out of 4,500 applicants to continue to the second round application. We will learn in Summer 2017 if the project was funded. Until then stay tuned! Learn more about the Knight Cities Challenge by checking out their website.

Everyone is invited to come join at Good Foods Coop, Wednesday December 7th from 5:00-7:00pm to view exciting design ideas for Southland Drive!

Lexington’s Division of Planning called for design submittals from university students as a catalyst for a design/build pop-up project made possible by a grant from the Blue Grass Community Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Donor Advised Fund. These submittals will be on display for community members to view and we want to collect your vote on your favorite ideas! For more information about the design competition check out the design brief.

You are invited to attend a community input meeting on Wednesday October 5th, 5:30pm at the Oleika Shrine Temple, 326 Southland Drive, to hear about the Retrofitting the RETRO: Southland Drive project. Please join to share your thoughts, concerns, and visions for the Southland district.

University of Kentucky students will be on Southland Drive Friday September 23rd through Monday September 26th collecting data for the Retrofitting the RETRO project. You may find them throughout the corridor counting people, cyclists, noting the design character of the area, or stopping you to ask a few questions.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts- your input will make this project a success! From their findings they will make design proposals on how to enhance the existing built environment. Learn more by checking out the Retrofitting the RETRO page.

The City’s Division of Planning will have the great pleasure of working with the University of Kentucky’s Interior Design, Historic Preservation, and Landscape Architecture programs this upcoming year. As their class project, students will explore the history of and design solutions to retrofitting the suburban strip mall typology. This is an academic exercise that will explore how best to enhance the limiting physical characteristics of a retro strip center and will recommend light and affordable physical design solutions to retrofit the existing built environment.

The goal of the Retrofitting the RETRO: Southland Dr. project is to examine the current conditions in this area and propose ways to improve it for all users. This deals primarily with innovative ways to improve current conditions to address safety, comfort, wayfinding, sustainability, bike and pedestrian circulation, and community gathering spaces while maintaining the character and sense of place that is Southland Dr.

The fall semester kicks off on August 24th and students will begin their research and data collection soon after. Keep an eye out for more information to come and for students walking the corridor to understand the history, businesses, visitors, and built environment of Southland Drive. Sign up for email alerts to stay up to date! Learn more about the Retrofitting the RETRO project by checking out the project page.